Thank you, Mr President.
I thank the Secretary-General and Ambassador Zlauvinen for their important briefings today.
Mr President, dialogue and cooperation are essential components for settling disputes and building peace and security. In this Council, we have seen some significant positive examples in recent months.
In Yemen sustained efforts, including Council members and regional actors, have brought us to a fragile truce.
On Somalia, cooperation within the Council and the African Union have led to the establishment of a new mission, establishing the AU Transition Mission in Somalia.
But dialogue can only ensure our collective security if it is matched and underpinned by states upholding the international system that keeps us all safe. This must start with the Charter as the guarantor of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
Today, there is no contest for the gravest threat to the system of common security that is enshrined in the United Nations. Russia, a permanent member of this Council, has torn up the Charter and trampled on the rules that underpin international peace and security. This undermines the entire system we are all here to uphold.
To ensure all of our security - and the system we all rely on - we must hold to account states that transgress universally accepted norms, such as sovereignty and territorial integrity. If we accept that a big country can simply invade its smaller neighbour, we return to dark days of human suffering as well as wider international instability and conflict.
This is why we call - again - for the Russian Federation to stop its illegal invasion of Ukraine and withdraw its forces.
Mr President,
With the global system under challenge, we must do everything we can to avoid nuclear escalation. The NPT remains a cornerstone of the global security architecture in this era. And the only route to our shared goal of complete nuclear disarmament.
The joint statement on this subject in January from P5 leaders was an important signal of the willingness to work together to reduce risks and build confidence.
And in this context, we thank Mr Zlauvinen for his tireless work as President of the NPT Review Conference. The UK remains unwaveringly committed to its aims, and to working with other states to ensure implementation of the NPT and other treaties.
So we echo the concern of the Secretary General about the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant in southern Ukraine. He has our support in efforts to deescalate the situation. We also underline the importance of a mission of IAEA experts to address nuclear safety, security and safeguarding concerns, in a manner that respects full Ukrainian sovereignty over its territory and infrastructure.
Mr President,
The UN Charter and the international security architecture that we collectively built are crucial for all of our countries. Let us defend that, together, to ensure a world in which all sovereign states can ensure the safety of their people and the integrity of their territory.
Thank you.
